2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness First Look

The Forester Wilderness trim isn't just another appearance package — it's a proper off-roader.

Andrew Ganz | 

Feb 27, 2025 | 2 min read

Subaru

The adventure-ready 2026 Forester Wilderness is scheduled to arrive in showrooms this fall exclusively with a gas-only engine. It stands out visually from its less rugged siblings with copper-colored accents and off-road-focused upgrades.

Subaru

The Forester Wilderness Is Ready for Off-Roading

In terms of rock-clearing ability, the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness may not equal a Toyota 4Runner or a Land Rover Defender, but with 9.3 inches of ground clearance, it should handle a rugged fire road with ease.

Thanks to its uprated springs, shock absorbers, and 235/60R-17 Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, the Wilderness model rides 0.6 inches higher than the base Forester. Moreover, the Wilderness model's robust transmission cooler helps unlock a 3,500-pound maximum trailer-tow rating, compared with the regular model's max of 1,500 pounds. Subaru also fitted a temperature sensor to the rear differential to warn drivers if it gets too hot and a skid plate to protect the underbody.

Subaru

Combined with its higher-riding suspension, the new Forester Wilderness' improved approach, departure, and breakover angles allow it to handle steeper, more challenging trails.

The Wilderness runs with a 2.5-liter flat-four engine rated at 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. The engine drives all four wheels through a continuously variable transmission, and there's a handful of drive modes, including settings for snow, mud, and dirt.

Subaru

The Forester Wilderness Looks More Rugged

Beyond the redesigned bumpers, the Wilderness distinguishes itself with chunky body cladding, LED fog lights, and tow hooks covered with copper-colored accent blocks.

Subaru added more touches of copper to the badging and the roof rails, which can hold 176 pounds while underway and up to 800 pounds when the vehicle is stationary (think a rooftop tent). You can find the color inside, too, accenting the steering wheel, the shifter, and easy-to-clean StarTex-wrapped seats.

Subaru

Forester Wilderness Offers Some Tech Upgrades

The Forester Wilderness should go on sale in late 2025. Subaru hasn't released full details about its feature set, but we know a couple of things. For one, the Wilderness will offer the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that's also found in the Forester Hybrid.

For another, this trim will come standard with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, as high-level Foresters do. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility will be included.

Andrew Ganz

Andrew has been hooked on cars since his mother coaxed him into naps by driving him around in her rattly old diesel Mercedes-Benz. Perhaps it was the diesel fumes that lulled him to sleep. Either way, he has since parlayed his automotive enthusiasm into a decades-long career as a journalist writing for such well-known sites as Auto Express, Autoblog, Car and Driver, Leftlane News, Motor1, Motor Authority, and The Car Connection, not to mention numerous classic-car publications. When he's not researching cars, he's probably working on one — though he has yet to own a diesel Mercedes. Off to the classifieds he goes.